European Exploration: Key Motivations and Impact on World History

What were some motivations for European exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries?

Need for resources,

finding gold,

acquiring more land,

seeking faster routes to India and China,

spreading Christianity.

Who were the first Europeans to reach North America and when did they arrive?

Scandinavian Sailors and warriors who found , Canada in 932 C.E.

What resources did the Scandinavian explorers find in North America?

They found grapes, timber, and furs.

Why did the Scandinavian explorers stop coming to North America?

They quit coming around 1010.

Which Italian explorer was sent by Spain and what was his goal?

Christopher Columbus to reach Asia but landed in the Caribbean islands in 1492.

How many voyages did Christopher Columbus make and what did he claim?

He made 4 total voyages and claimed land for Spain.

Which Italian explorer was sent by England and what did he explore?

John Cabot was sent by England to look for a route to Asia and explored the coast of Newfoundland, Canada in 1497.

What did John Cabot claim for England?

He claimed land for England during his explorations.

Who was Amerigo Vespucci and what did he contribute to exploration?

An Italian navigator on a Spanish ship who wrote a popular book about travels; North and South America were named for him.

Which Spanish explorer crossed the Isthmus of Panama and what did he achieve?

Vasco Núñez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean in 1513, becoming the first European to reach the Pacific through the New World.

What did Jacques Cartier accomplish for France?

He sailed up the St. Lawrence River looking for a Northwest Passage and named and claimed Canada for France.

What was Ponce de León searching for and what did he claim?

He searched for the mythical 'Fountain of Youth' and claimed Florida for Spain in 1513.

Who conquered the Aztecs and when?

Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztecs between 1519 and 1521 and claimed Mexico for Spain.

What was Francisco Coronado searching for and what did he discover?

He searched for the mythical '7 Cities of Gold' and was the first European to see the Grand Canyon and the American southwest, claiming land north of Mexico for Spain.

What did Henry Hudson claim for the Dutch and England?

He claimed the Hudson River and modern New York for the Dutch and the Hudson Bay area for England.

What did Robert La Salle achieve for France?

He explored and established forts from the Great Lakes down the Mississippi River, claiming Louisiana for France.